ReformCA, the leading group working to legalize adult-use cannabis in California, released the following statement today in response to the release of the Blue Ribbon Commission report:
The Blue Ribbon Commission and Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom are to be commended on providing a very thoughtful and timely analysis of the key issues that must be addressed in legalizing cannabis in California. The report’s recommendations are very much in line with our views.
Dale Sky Jones, Chairwoman of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform, ReformCA’s parent organization, added:
“We have taken the long view leading up to 2016, taking a measured approach, and consulting in depth with diverse stakeholders, including physicians and nurses, the NAACP, Latino, and Asian civic organizations, elected officials, community leaders, organized labor, retired law enforcement officers, soccer moms and more. Additionally we maintain constant contact with the existing responsible operators of the statewide medical cannabis system.
“Our initiative addresses control and regulation, public health concerns, packaging, retail sales and cultivation with reasonable flexibility. We seek to create funding mechanisms to support the regulatory and enforcement scheme, along with increased education and environmental protection. However, we do not create a tax regime with the expectation that cannabis tax revenues will be a cash cow for general government operations, nor entice the black market.”
ReformCA will file its initiative with the Attorney General’s office in the next few weeks. A signature gathering firm has been retained to help qualify the initiative for the November 2016 ballot.
The filing comes as a result of a year and a half process including building a list of 70,000 grassroots supporters and donors across the state, fifteen in-person meetings with stakeholders from San Diego to Redding, extensive public opinion research and countless engagements with other organizations and policy makers.
Source: ReformCA press release
